The Beginning
by Not-the-Norm
Summary: His infamously hooked nose, tattered clothes, and unwavering sneer made him repulsive to those around him. He had grown used to being alone. In fact, he preferred it. Everything changed, though, when a girl on a bike came riding into his life. Snape/OC
1. Chapter I

Disclaimer: Everything Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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><p>Chapter I<em><br>_

It had never occurred to Severus that his life could be any different than it was now. He lay in his bed, old springs pressing into his back making it ache, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. Water stains graced the peeling roof making portions appear dark as they dripped occasionally. The segments that were not stained with wetness were rotting, the paper that had been laid down on it now crusting off to reveal the dank panels underneath. All around him dark, moldy red bricks were stacked high to form the walls. He imagined they had been put there in some hopes of giving the room color or perhaps liveliness; to him it made the place feel like a prison. It was a prison he longed to be out of once more. As always, though, summer seemed to last a lifetime.

From another room his ears picked up the muffled sounds of yelling. Deep thuds resounded as the raised voices continued. They were at it again, throwing things and bickering. Severus could only imagine that his father had once again stumbled through the doorway half drunk off his ass with an empty alcohol bottle in his hand keen on starting a rampage and picking a fight. It was usually his mother that took the brunt of the anger and beatings. Severus figured she did it to protect him, not that it helped much. Once her frail body had taken enough his father would teeter into his room only to slur accusations his way.

"_I see tha way you and your mother sneak around...whisperin' behind my back...you two are plottin' against me. I can see it in your eyes..."_

Severus used to give into his father's accusations when he was little, afraid that if he didn't he would be beaten harder. His father would hold his arm behind his back until his shoulder popped out of its socket or scrape his head against the rotting walls until half his face was covered in deep sweltering splinters until he would give into the accusations. As he got older, though, he stopped giving in. His father knew he was big enough and strong enough to put up a fight—the older man wouldn't be able to torture him as he used to. So Severus had found small pleasure in toying with the man.

"_You caught us. How did you find us out? We've been trying so hard to keep it a secret from you." _

_The elder man growled. "I knew it! You and tha' slut are always talkin' when I'm not around, talkin' about me. Don't think I don't hear things. I can see it in tha' twisted sneer you always have. You _freak._"_

It wasn't the first time Tobias Snape had called his son a freak and it wouldn't be the last. Ever since Snape was little his father had been a drunk, the abusing starting when he was at the tender again of eleven. It was when he received his letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy that his father started the mocking and disdainful remarks. No matter what he did, be it good or bad, Severus knew he would always be a freak in his father's eyes.

It was a few years after the beatings began when he met Ophelia Speller. She lived a few blocks down in a nicer neighborhood. She was beautiful with her brilliant cerulean eyes and glossy flaxen locks topped off with a smile that could melt the entire North Pole. To Severus, she was an angel.

_It was a dreary morning when she first stumbled into Spinner's End. Severus was sitting out on the front steps to his house, his dark eyes cast downwards as he tried to forget about the beating he had just underwent. His left eye throbbed as blood pulsed to it, the skin around the occipital bulging and bruised. A short distance away he heard the small sound a bicycle bell, the ringing resounding through his hollow mind. He paid it no heed as he tried to blink his eyes without causing extra pain to the bruises. His ears picked up at the sound of the bell again, this time sounding closer. It sounded then again and again, each time growing closer to where he sat. Even still he did not look up. Finally the ringing stopped and he heard the clearing of a throat._

"_Hey," The voice of the stranger was small and feminine, innocent and curious in nature. "What's your name?"_

_Severus had looked up with no prediction of the sight he was met with. He winced as his eyes widened some as he looked upon the young girl. Her gold hair was brushed back behind her shoulders, her azure eyes staring at him with curiosity and a touch of empathy. Small freckles were scattered across the pale skin of her nose as she scrunched it up some. She smiled softly as his eyes met hers. _

"_I'm Ophelia Speller. I live a few blocks down. I've never ridden over here so I thought I'd take a look around. Do you live here?"_

_He nodded._

"_What's your name?" She asked again._

_Severus ignored her this time, unwilling to play twenty questions with the petite girl. _

"_What happened to your eye?" This girl was straightforward; there was no doubt about that. Hadn't she ever heard that curiosity killed the cat? _

_He answered her with a sneer, his ebony eyes narrowing. He hoped she would leave, her presence alone causing him to feel uncomfortable. _

"_Did you get into a fight?" Ophelia asked as she dismounted her bike. _

_Severus scowled down at her as she came to sit beside him on the front steps of his house. Refusing to answer, he looked away from her. She was far too inquisitive for her own good. They sat in silence for a few more moments, his head turned from her as the heat of her stare stayed on his form. _

"_Are you dumb or something?" _

"_What?" Severus asked._

"_Sorry," The girl said quickly. "I didn't mean to offend you. It's just, you were sitting there not answering me with this absent look on your face and I figured you either have something really deep on your mind or you're dumb."_

"_I'm not dumb." Severus answered calmly. "I'm a wizard and I was casting a spell in hopes that you would disappear and leave me alone." Well, half of that was true._

_Silence encompassed the two and for a moment Severus didn't know if he had said too much. Had he scared the girl? He hoped so. Perhaps if he frightened her enough she'd leave and never come back to bother him again. A few more moments passed and finally the dark haired boy turned to glance at the girl next to him. His brow furrowed as he watched her purse her lips in an attempt to contain her grin. A minute later and the air was filled with her infectious laughter. _

"_Good one. You're funny, you know that?" She commented, her amused grin causing him to wriggle slightly. _

"_No." He responded with a glare. _

"_I'm a wizard too. Well, a witch actually. But Dad told me I shouldn't go around telling people that considering we live in a muggle neighborhood. Wonder what they'd think if they knew about us living right next door. They'd probably lose their knickers!" Another round of giggles erupted._

"_What do you want?" _

"_To know your name," She shot back, her eyes dancing with giddiness. Was she not afraid of his dark demeanor or ominous black eye? What was wrong with this girl? "Or perhaps I could ask your mother. Is she inside? I could..."_

"_No." Severus cut in quickly as he saw the girl stand. "It's Severus." _

"_So how'd you get that black eye?" _

"_I was walking home and didn't see the lamp post. Ran into it is all." _

"_A lamp post? Wow, and you didn't break any bones?"_

"_No." _

"_You must have been walking pretty fast to have hit the pole hard enough to get a black eye."_

"_I was running."_

"_Running?"_

"_I was being chased." _

"_Chased? By what?"_

"_A ravenous lion. It escaped from the London Zoo last week and had been feasting on anything it came in contact with. I was walking home that day when it darted out from an alley. I was running from it when I hit the lamp post."_

_A moment of silence and then the girl was laughing again, her hand slapping her knee as she buckled back in mirth. _

"_You're a real hoot." She giggled, her blue eyes on Severus as she smiled widely. _

"_Severus, are you out there? Who the hell are you talking to?" Severus glanced back at his house, the shadow of his father reflecting in the second story window. _

"_You better go." He told the girl next to him, watching as her smile faltered some. Finally she was reacting appropriately. _

"_Why?" _

"_My father just woke up from his drunken stupor and probably wants to polish my other eye off." _

_The girl glanced at his good eye, her expression changing from amusement to concern. "Severus..."_

"_Just go. And if you know what's good for you, you won't come back over here again." _

_The golden haired girl hesitated for a moment before gracefully hopping on her bike and riding around the corner she had come from once more. Severus watched her go, his dark eyes burning with the hue of her flaxen tendrils. The front door slammed open behind him. _

"_Did you not hear me just now? Who the hell was out here?"_

"_No one." _

"_Don't be a smart ass to me, boy!"_

_Severus remained quiet, his being used to the usual taunting from his still half drunken father. _

"_Did you hear me? Listen to me when I'm fucking talking to you!" _

_He still refused to answer as Tobias rounded on him. _

"_You ungrateful little bastard!"_

_It was a week before he could see out of his eyes fully again. _

It was only a few short weeks later when the freckled girl came riding into his neighborhood again. He had been inside reading a potions book he had procured from Diagon Alley during his last trip to the shopping center. It's pages where worn and the seam was tearing. He wasn't surprised—it was his tenth time reading it that summer. He had desired to buy more books to occupy his time, but his family funds were insufficient so he had sufficed to reading the potions book repeatedly. He was so familiar with the text by now that he was actually correcting recipes he found needed perfecting.

His eyes flashed to the door as he heard three loud thuds. He rose a thick brow, the book in his hands lowering as he set it upon the table he sat at. He waited in silence to see if he had been imagining the noise. A few moments later and the thuds resounded again. He hadn't planned on answering it, but when he heard the rustling from the room upstairs he quickly darted towards the doorway. No use enduring his father's insatiable wrath if he could avoid it for a bit longer.

He opened the door a crack, his dark eyes falling upon the small girl. Her bike was left leaning against the curb as she stood fidgeting in the doorway.

"_I see your eye is better." _

_Severus was slightly taken aback by her observation, though he didn't show it as he scowled down at her. "What do you want?" _

"_I wanted to see if you're free."_

"_Well, I'm not." _

"_Dad's gone for a few months on one of his adventures researching some new potion so I figured you could come over for some tea or something. Do you like tea?"_

"_Your dad researches potions?" _

_The girl nodded. "Yeah, he writes books on that kind of stuff. I hardly see what fascinates him so much about it. You know, he's lost two toes and nearly his right eye because of his potions. Trust Dad to never give up. He spends the whole year away from home. I don't mind, though. Gives me my freedom so it's worked out for the better. Mum doesn't particularly like the situation, but she doesn't have much say over how Dad raises me ever since she ran off with that penniless artist." _

"_What's your dad's name?" Snape asked, unamused by her rambling. _

"_Edmond Speller, why?" _

"_He's the author of—"_

"Potions and Elixirs for the Advanced Witch or Wizard_. Yeah, that's him. You've read his book?"_

"_Once or twice." Severus lied, his body moving to hide the crumpled book that still lay opened on the table. _

_Changing the subject the girl quickly asked, "So you want to come over?" _

"_No." _

_Her face fell just a tad. "Why not?" _

"_I'm busy." _

"_Doing what?" _

"_Things." _

"_Oh, come on. It'll only be for a little." Grabbing his arm, the girl yanked him from behind the door to stand out on the steps next to her. Keeping her hold on his arm she managed to pull him down the street and around the block. Half of him resisted, yet the other half let her drag him along. Tea was a welcome escape from the beating he knew he'd be receiving if he had stayed around his house much longer. _

The first time he had stepped in her house he hadn't been surprised by the tidy, elegant manner in which the decorations were placed. The entire building appeared as if it hadn't been occupied in some time. The golden haired girls' room had been on the second story, third door on the left. Boxes lined the upper hallway, a somewhat stark contrast to the clean interior of the first floor. Severus had caught sight of what he had assumed was Edmond Speller's study. Books and scrolls lay scattered around the shadowed room, various potion ingredients used as weights to hold down the numerous parchments.

The girl had shown him her room, the interior appearing as he had expected. The walls were a soft egg shell white adorned with small girlish trinkets and foreign objects.

"_Dad always brings me a souvenir when he returns from his trips." _She had explained.

Once done showing off her room the girl had moved them to the downstairs parlor. It was just as the other rooms were downstairs, tidy and appearing uninhabited. Severus sat silently as the girl disappeared into another room before scurrying back in with a shaking tray in her hands. She smiled eagerly as she set the teakettle and cups down upon the small table in front of him.

"_Do you take sugar?" _

_Severus shook his head. _

_She poured the tea carefully, her hands calm as she set the kettle back down before handing the filled cup and matching saucer to him. He held it in his hands, but didn't lift it to his lips just yet. Severus' calculating charcoal eyes watched as the girl poured herself a cup of the hot liquid before putting the pot aside. Her dainty hands reached for the sugar. She preferred two lumps he noted as she began to stir them in with a silver spoon. Lifting the small silver utensil to her lips, her pink tongue darted out to lick at the surface of it before she placed it down upon her saucer. She smiled up at him before sipping at the brewed tea in her cup. _

"_Aren't you going to drink yours?" _

_Severus didn't answer as he lifted his own tea to his lips before taking a gulp. The bitter drink slipped into his mouth before burning a path down the back of his throat and into his stomach. He sighed, almost forgetting how welcome the taste of the tart leaves were. It had been months since he had had tea. His mother never received company and so she hadn't found a need to make it. His father preferred whiskey. _

"_I hope I brewed it to your liking." The girl offered with a hopeful glance at his cup. "I haven't made tea in Merlin knows how long. Dad's been gone since February so I haven't had much company over to entertain. You're the first guest in months." _

"_It's perfectly adequate." _

_The girl grinned. _

"_When Mum used to visit she'd always tell me I make it too bitter. She likes her tea a golden brown." Her freckled nose wrinkled a bit. "But Dad always preferred his black so I had gotten used to making it that way. Mum used to scold me for not making it right, but it's the only way I know how. Plus, I like the taste better. If you don't let it brew long enough it just tastes like water and what's the point in that? 'If you want to taste water then just have water,' I used to tell my mum." _

_Severus watched her talk. The girl could ramble on for days it seemed. He figured her overabundance in speaking was due to not having anyone to spend her days with. She probably found the absence of company to be lonely; Severus would trade anything to have solitude as she did. _

"_She used to get mad that we didn't keep a house elf. 'Tea is to be made by the elves, not you,' she'd tell me. What good is a house elf if I can do the job myself, though? Poor things work all day without a penny paid to them. It's not right if you ask me, so I told Dad I didn't want a house elf. He didn't fight me. In fact, he rather liked the idea of me doing the chores. 'Builds character,' he had said." _

"_Don't you ever stop talking?" _

_The girl let out a soft laugh. "Am I talking too much? I haven't had a guest in so long I guess I just got carried away." _

_Severus rose a thick brow at her as she sipped eagerly at her tea. _

"_So you go to Hogwarts?" She paused as he gave her a questioning look. "I just assumed you do since you've read my dad's book and all. I think it's a required text for sixth years, but of course you're not old enough for that. You can't be over thirteen."_

"_Fourteen, actually." _

"_Fourteen? Wow, a fourth year!"_

"_You don't go to Hogwarts?"_

_The girl shook her head. "Dad always thought it'd be best to teach me himself. He used to be pretty good at it until he started traveling a lot. I would be at a third year level if he hadn't been gone so much this last year." _

_Severus didn't respond. He both envied the girl and found her lack of education pathetic. She was lucky she didn't have to endure the bereavement of being mocked by idiotic classmates, yet her absent teacher was an unfortunate downfall to her educational situation. _

"_So what's Hogwarts like?"_

"_Bland." _

"_I hear that it's absolutely magical." Severus couldn't help but scoff. Her choice of wording was just so very ironic. "Don't they have feasts at the beginning of each year? And the headmaster, I hear he's a real loon. Some say he's the most powerful wizard alive, though. And what about the ghosts? Gilbert, the little boy who lives two blocks down, told me that every house has one. I've never seen one before. Are they real scary?" _

"_Hogwarts is nothing special." He reprimanded. "The students are simpletons who don't know how to produce spells even infants could perform in their sleep. The headmaster _is_ a loon and a half-witted fool as well."_

"_If you don't like it so much then why do you go?" _

_Severus hesitated. "Anything is better than being near this pitiful muggle town." He didn't mention his father. He didn't want this girl's pity. _

"_Well, I think it'd be absolutely fantastic to be able to go to a school like Hogwarts. Maybe Dad will let me apply next year, as long as I get my grades up. Wouldn't that be neat, Severus—us going to the same school?"_

"_No." _

"_It'd be a ball, I think. We could play pranks on the other students and you could help me with my potions. It's my weak subject, you know. Funny isn't it? Dad's an expert at the stuff, yet I can't seem to even make a simple first year concoction. Guess the gift doesn't run in the family." _

Severus had spent the rest of the evening listening to her chatter away about pointless nonsense and subjects that interested him little if at all. He hadn't planned on befriending her—really, it was she that had befriended him. Yet for the rest of the summer she had gone out of her way to bother him until he'd spend the day with her.

Her father, who so conveniently returned a few weeks before the next term, denied her wishes of going to Hogwarts in the fall. Severus didn't have the opportunity to meet the man before he left for school. The acclaimed author was known for locking himself up in his study for days on end, according to the cerulean-eyed girl. Severus couldn't help but admit himself rather disappointed, his copy of the man's book nearly destroyed with frayed pages and scribbles in the margins by the end of summer. He had rather hoped to discuss some recipes with the potions master, his ideas he deemed worthy of recognition.

Severus eventually found himself to be the constant summer companion of the girl down the street for the next few years. It was always the same; she would come knocking at his door only to drag him to some odd destination she deemed worthy of an adventure. He never truly found the escapades anything close to fun, but gradually he had grown used to the giddy company of the young girl and found that he couldn't deny her wishes whenever she would call upon him.

It was the summer after his sixth year when things seemed to take a turn for the worse.

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><p>Authors Note: Hey everyone! I hope you liked the prologue to this story! In case you're confused, this is a SnapeOC fanfic. I've decided to put my own little twist on his childhood (which was left pretty vague by Rowling). In doing so, I've left out Lily Evans and his love for her. I haven't quite decided if I'm going to put her in the story somewhere, but for now she's not included. Anyways, I should have the first chapter up in the next few days so be on the look out for it. I hope you enjoyed this first little installment and let me know what you think! Do you like Ophelia? Hate her? Do you find her original? Mary-Sue? Let me know, I'd love to hear your feedback! :)


	2. Chapter II

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling has sole custody over all magical things mentioned in this story. I'm just playing with her creation.

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><p>Chapter II<p>

Severus' ebony eyes scanned the dull pages of the old textbook he held in his pale hands. It was an advanced book meant for wizards far beyond his age, yet he found it hardly challenging as he skimmed through it with ease. Upstairs his father had just woken up from his mid-afternoon nap, whiskey most likely still on his breath. The dark haired boy sat stiffly as he heard loud thumps descending down the stairs. He didn't even glance up as his father entered the room.

"What are you doing?"

Severus didn't answer. He could feel the heat of his father's drunken glare. "Are you fucking deaf? I asked you a question."

"Reading."

"Don't be a smart ass to me, boy."

"I wasn't."

"I should kick your fucking ass right now for that tone!"

"Then why don't you?"

Severus was on the edge of eighteen and far from being afraid of his father as he used to be in the past. While the older man had lost a good portion of his youthful vigor and gained a few pounds around the midsection, Severus had grown quite considerably and now possessed the lean muscles of a young adult. His father's threats were hardly enough to make him blink. Yet even with his newfound advantage over the older man, Severus still let his father deal out his wrath on him. It wasn't that he couldn't fight back. Rather, it was because he didn't care enough to.

"Where's your mother?"

"Out." Severus continued to read as he heard the fridge open, bottles clinking together, and then the slam of the door.

"Probably fucking that mail man again." The crack of the beer cap being snapped off resounded through the small kitchen. "That bitch doesn't appreciate all that I give her. The boys keep telling me I'm half out of my mind for not kicking her sorry ass to the curb."

Severus usually wouldn't have responded, but he could help it as he asked, "And what exactly is it that you give her?"

His father's gaze snapped to him furiously. "Your sarcasm is going to earn you a broken jaw if you don't shut the fuck up!"

The pale teen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. After all, he didn't care enough to anyways.

"What are you reading?" There was a pause as Tobias glanced at the worn book his son was holding. "Another book written by those freaks? I told you not to bring those under my roof, you fucking demon-worshipper."

Severus set the book down calmly. He was about to retort when he heard the usual three loud thuds at his front door. His black eyes darted towards the sound as he stood from his chair.

"Where the fuck are you going? I wasn't done talking to you!"

The boy ignored his father as he strode towards the door. He turned the knob and opened it a crack, the beaming face of his golden haired angel standing just outside the premises.

"GET THE FUCK BACK HERE AND SHUT THE FUCKING DOOR, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING _FREAK_!"

The girl's smile faltered for only a moment as Severus silently slipped out the door. Grabbing her by the arm, he led her over the steps and down the street. She glanced back at his house once then turned her gaze forwards as if telling him that his father was still inside. The two had established an unofficial routine over the years. They usually went over to the girl's house and sometimes they even spent time in the tiny shopping center a few miles away, but they never stayed under Tobias' roof. It wasn't out of fear that they didn't dare stick around the Snape residents, but rather out of desire to escape the inevitable leering of the drunken man that lingered around the house throughout the day. Being with Ophelia offered Severus a small break from reality and the abuse that came with it.

"Tobias at it again?"

Severus' nod was her only response. He was grateful that she never showed any pity or sympathy for him. It was perhaps one of the main reasons he put up with her friendship.

"Well let's not keep lollygagging. I've got some stuff waiting at my house for us. Dad left yesterday for Eastern India and won't be back for a few months. I bet you're wondering what potion he's researching now, but I'm sworn to secrecy not to tell anyone. He thinks it'll win him the B.U.G.G.E.R Award."

"B.U.G.G.E.R Award?"

"Yeah, you know. The Brewer of Ugly, Gross, Gargantous Elixirs and Remedies Award. Haven't you heard of it?"

"You're making that up."

"No, I'm not. I swear on my life that it's real."

"Don't swear."

Ophelia scrunched up her nose in response, her eyes flashing amusedly at Severus' face as they continued down the street towards her house. A comfortable silence fell around them as neither one made the next move to talk. Over the summers spent together they had come to realize that sometimes words were not always needed. Severus recalled the time his drunken father had gone into his room and thrown out his entire collection of potion books while he was away. He had been close to letting his father have it square in the jaw and probably would have if Ophelia hadn't come by to steal him away. He had gone over to her house in a frenzy, his eyes ablaze with rage as they sat in the parlor of her house.

_Ophelia walked out silently with her typical silver tray adorned with the usual teapot, cups, and matching saucers. Small Danishes had occupied the plates. The girl picked one up and munched on it as she poured them both a cup of tea. After she had had her fair share of pastry and tea, she sat back and stared at Severus. _

"_We don't have to talk if you don't want to."_

_Severus didn't respond. He sat stiff as his fists clenched tightly, loosened, then balled up again as he tried to remain calm and controlled. He could feel the fire of years of suppression rising up in him, the flame licking at his mind as he sat in unspoken rage. He hated Tobias. Since the day he had been born the man had never been anything close to a fatherly figure. After years of being physically abused, verbally assaulted, and emotionally detached, Severus had thought that he didn't care anymore. Apparently he had thought wrong._

"_He took something of yours, didn't he?" _

_His charcoal eyes darted towards the girl, his gaze still heated as he stared at her...helplessly. He hated that he was in this girl's presence while in such an emotionally vulnerable state. He'd much rather be alone, cursing whatever higher being allowed him to be born to such a pathetic, worthless man as his father. _

_As Ophelia sat still and waited patiently, the dark haired boy focused his attention on her. She was staring at him intently as if searching his eyes for the answer to her question. He was slightly surprised by her patience. As he continued to gaze upon her he began to feel his pent up anger slowly ebb and give way. He sighed._

"_My books." _

"_What?"_

_Severus lowered his gaze to stare harshly at the floor. "He took my potion books."_

_There was a pause of silence. He could feel the heat of the blue-eyed girl's stare on him as he continued to stare ardently at the floorboards. A few more moments of silence remained before her departure from the couch made him lift his dark eyes. _

"_Come with me." She stated before walking out of the room._

_Severus quickly followed after her, his anger replaced by slight confusion. They walked in silence as they continued down a dimly lit hall. Floral wallpaper lined the walls, a few mirrors hanging from them. Severus didn't look at his reflection; he'd rather not put a bigger damper on his already horrendous mood. The girl's stride slowed as she took a sharp right into a room Severus had not set foot in before. _

_Ebony eyes lifted as they entered the room. The interior of the area was lined with panels of books, a few small stepping ladders scattered about the rows of manuscripts. Some books laid opened on a small sitting table located at the far end of the room, though the lamp on the table was not lit. Severus' eyes turned to the girl as he watched her leave his side to begin mulling through the rows of books. He let his gaze sweep around the expanse of the room before leaving his spot to stand behind the girl. _

"_What are we doing in here?" _

_She didn't glance up at him as she responded, "This is Dad's library. He's a bit of a bookworm, if you couldn't tell. Aha!"_

_Her dainty hand reached out before snatching a small hard-covered book from the row in front of her. She let it rest in her free arm before she began looking over the titles of the manuscripts once more. Severus let her continue for the next few minutes, watching as she picked out various books before hugging them to her body with her other arm. Finally she stopped her rummaging as she yanked out one last book from its place on the shelf. She turned to face Severus. _

"_Here."_

_He rose a thick brow. "What?"_

"_Take them." _

"_Why?" _

_She shrugged slightly. "You said your dad stole your potion books so I thought I could permanently loan you some."_

"_I don't want your charity."_

"_It's not mine. It's my dad's, so take it." _

_Severus scowled lightly. "All the more reason not to." _

_The freckle-faced girl rolled her eyes. "He has a million and one copies of these books. Trust me, he won't miss them. He's hardly home enough to notice their absence anyways and I know you read these things all the time." _

_He remained still, his eyes glancing down at the books in her arms. Just as he was about to deny her generosity again she suddenly stepped forwards and shoved them in his arms before turning to leave the library. He stood cemented to his spot as he watched her leave the room. He had never thanked her for the books. She had been right, though. By the end of the summer he had each one memorized from front cover to the back._

Severus was pulled from his memories as Ophelia cleared her throat. She wore a mischievous smile upon her lips as she stared at him. His dark eyebrow cocked questionably.

"I have something planned for us to do today." She paused. "But I'm not sure you'll like it much."

"Well, then why plan to do it at all if you knew I wouldn't like it?"

Her bottom lip puckered some. "Don't be such a sour puss, Severus. You're supposed to act curious."

Severus' pale lips twitched upwards into a tiny smirk. "And what is it that I'm supposed to be curious about?"

"What I have planned for today!"

"You're just going to tell me anyways, so why should I waste my energy feigning curiosity over something I'll know the answer to in a matter of minutes?"

Ophelia huffed in slight frustration, though amusement still lingered in her azure eyes as she stared at Severus. "You know, you're the master at being difficult."

"I beg to differ."

"I can't see why you would." Ophelia argued. "I always have to drag you everywhere. Mum says I shouldn't bother you, but I don't listen to her."

"Obviously."

"I tell her about you," Ophelia continued with a small smile. "She's a witch too, so it's okay. She's worried about me, because she says you sound a lot like Dad—the obsession with potions and all. That's why Mum left in the first place; she couldn't handle Dad being gone so much."

Ophelia's brilliant eyes were cast downwards as she added, "But it's not the same as her and Dad. We're just friends after all."

Severus shifted in his seat uncomfortably as they sat in her parlor. The way her cheeks seemed to flush ever so slightly as she talked about their friendship caused a small tickle in his abdomen that seemed to branch throughout his body making his skin tingle. He didn't particularly like the unknown sensation. Yet he couldn't help it as his dark eyes stay glued to her seemingly shy façade. When had she grown timid? All of their summers spent together and she had never shown a hint of shyness.

"Ah, I was rambling again wasn't I?" She asked with another flush. Severus had reprimanded her quite often when her talking began to grow to be too much. He had never meant it to be harsh—though he hadn't meant it to be gentle either—but it had appeared to affect her in that way for she always seemed apologetic when she realized she was talking excessively.

"And I really shouldn't be, because I still have to show you what I have planned." Her gaze lifted joyfully as she stood from her spot. "I'll be back in a moment."

Ophelia quickly disappeared into the kitchen leaving Severus alone in the parlor. His eyes caught sight of an opened potions book lying on the side table across the room. He wondered if the girl had been attempting some concoctions earlier in the day. He couldn't help but smirk as memories of trying to teach her different recipes surfaced in his head.

"_Next, slowly drop in a tail of a Tadpole." _

"_Right." Ophelia muttered before picking up a small, greenish-colored tadpole. Taking the sharp knife in her hand, she slowly cut the translucent tail from the body before pinching it in her fingers. Severus' lips twitched upwards slightly at the repulsed look that adorned the freckled girl's features. She quickly dropped the tail in the cauldron before glancing up at the dark haired boy, waiting to hear the next step. His coal eyes lowered to the book he held in his hands. _

"_Stir three times clockwise and then two times counterclockwise." _

_There was a pause of silence. "But my book says to only stir it twice clockwise." Her brow furrowed. "Do we have different books?" _

"_No. I made some adjustments to the recipe."_

"_Adjustments?" Her expression changed to one of slight confusion. "Severus, you're only a fifth year. You're not exactly qualified to make adjustments. Changing the original recipe might have dire consequences and I'd rather not have an explosion of Tadpole tail and Hawk-owl beak in my face."_

"_I tested it out first." He answered with a glare. "Just do it." _

"_But I'm not sure—"_

"_Do it or I'm leaving." _

_Ophelia scrunched her softly pointed nose in aggravation before turning to the bubbling cauldron. Taking the ladle in her hand, she slowly stirred the liquid in the way in which he had instructed her to do. The mixture gurgled as she slowed her movements. Taking the spoon from the mix, she set it down beside the pot on the table. "Now what?" _

"_Add one tooth of a Manticore." _

"_A what?" _

"_Didn't you buy the tooth when we went to Diagon Alley the other day?" _

_Ophelia bit her lip. "I tried, but there were so many different teeth and they weren't labeled correctly."_

_Severus scowled. _

"_What should we do?" _

"We _should do nothing. Our lessons are over for today. We can't do anymore without the tooth." _

_Ophelia leapt forwards and latched onto Severus' arms, her cerulean eyes staring up at the pale boy pleadingly. "Can't we try to finish, Severus? If I don't get this potion down by the time Dad returns from Brazil then he won't let me move on to fourth year material. I'd be another year behind and even further away from going to Hogwarts with you." _

"_Your dad already told you that you're not going to be attending Hogwarts in the fall."_

"_It's only because I'm behind in my studies. If I catch up then I know he'll let me go. Please, Severus. Can't we figure out another way to finish the potion? You've changed the recipe anyways. Maybe we can change it to work without the Manticore tooth." Ophelia's wide, beseeching eyes slowly melted away Severus' frustration. _

_He sighed. "Fine, let me look at it." _

_The golden haired girl grinned before moving to stand in front of her cauldron once more. Severus' ebony eyes skimmed over the ingredients, his calculating mind creating alternative formulas to the original mixture. Perhaps gillyweed...or maybe the feather of a hippogriff? No, that would counteract the potion. After a few more moments of deliberating, Severus glanced up at the patiently waiting girl beside him. _

"_Do you have wings of a Billywig?" _

_Ophelia glanced at the table where various ingredients lay scattered around. Brilliant blue caught her eye. "Yes! Here it is." She held up the translucent cobalt wings. _

"_Gently drop it into the mixture before stirring twice counterclockwise."_

"_Right." The wings fluttered slowly onto the liquid. As they made contact with the potion a shining azure flame suddenly consumed them. The two watched in slight amazement and increasing curiosity. _

"_Do you think it worked?" Ophelia questioned as she gazed at the now blue-green fluid. _

"_Of course it worked." Severus answered with a sneer, his nose burying itself back in the potion book as he read the next ingredient. "Now put two Diricawl claws in."_

_The girl reached for the claws before tossing them into the potion. The mixture splashed and spewed, boiling bubbles erupting over the edge. Thick grey smoke suddenly began to seep from the cauldron, filling the room with a formidable stench. "What happened?"_

_Severus was glaring in irritation at the flaxen haired girl beside him. She glanced at him worriedly, her hand over her mouth as she fought back coughs. "What did you throw in there?" _

"_What do you mean what did I throw in there? The Diricawl claws, of course. I'm not some sort of—" The girl stopped short as her eyes caught sight of the correct claws across the table from her. Her gaze darted to Severus' fearfully as she flushed sheepishly. "What's going to happen now?" _

"_I'm not sure." _

"_What should we do?" _

"You _should throw the potion out before you do anything else wrong." _

"_But Severus—" The cauldron suddenly emitted a high-pitched whistle before erupting and spewing charcoal colored liquid everywhere. _

_Severus had sworn against tutoring the freckle-faced girl again after that incident, deeming her far too accident-prone when it came to potion making. She had been on the verge of tears when he told her she had no hope of ever achieving potions mastery. He had felt bad, but it wasn't in his nature to apologize and she knew this. After the accident they carried on as usual, Ophelia acting as if it had never occurred at all. He had known, though, that she was merely putting on a ruse so as to not dwell on it. He could see it in her brilliant blue eyes that she longed to please her potion-loving father...and him. _

"Are you coming?"

Severus glanced towards the kitchen doorway finding Ophelia standing there holding a large basket in her arms. She was smiling teasingly and he figured his face had held a far-off, blank expression due to his visiting past memories. He rose a thick brow at her as she shifted the woven container in her arms. "What is that for?"

"You'll see," She grinned. "Now come on."

The dark haired boy stood slowly before following the girl through the kitchen and out the back door. Ophelia's house was on the edge of a line of trees that made up the outskirts of a small forest. Her property had no fence, the woods a place of pastime adventures for the two. Well, adventures for the girl who dragged Severus along to endure the games. While her imagination was endless, his was rather lacking due to the scarcity of its use.

"Where are we going?"

Severus caught a glimpse of a smile as Ophelia continued leading them deeper into the blanket of trees. The forest was still and silent as they continued their trek, the needles of the pine trees rustling softly in the wind.

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise." She called back playfully.

"You know that I dislike surprises."

Ophelia's soft laugh resounded through the quiet air around the. "You dislike a lot of things, Severus, but that has never stopped me before."

Severus felt his pale lips turn upwards into an amused smirk. While most of the time he found her stubbornness rather annoying, he couldn't help but admit that it was a quality he was pleased she possessed. Without that small detail in her character he would not be following her through the numerous trees to an unknown destination; and even though he would very much like to be sitting in a chair reading a book, he couldn't deny that his curiosity was peaked over the girl's mysterious plans.

The girl stopped walking in front of him causing Severus to halt as well, his gaze lifting to the small meadow before them. The line of trees broke into a circular patch of untamed green grass, little foxtails bending and blowing in the whispering breeze. The sound of far off bullfrogs and a trickling creek met the dark haired boys ears as the two made their way into the field.

"I found this place a few weeks ago." Ophelia stated as she turned towards Severus.

"You were wandering around in the forest alone?"

Ophelia shrugged. "You were busy and I wanted to explore."

"You can be so ignorant sometimes." Severus reprimanded with a sneer.

Ophelia crinkled her nose. "And why is that?"

"These woods are dangerous."

"Are they? We made it here without an incident, didn't we?"

Severus didn't respond causing a stiff silence to fall between the two. Finally he asked, "What are we doing here, anyways?"

A small smile flitted its way back onto Ophelia's pink lips. "Sit." She commanded as she leaned down and sat crisscrossed on the ground. Severus stared at her with a slight scowl for a few moments before obliging her request. Her smile grew as she reached into her basket that she had set beside her. The pale skinned boy watched as she pulled out two sandwiches and drinks for them.

"What is this?"

She rose a brow at him. "We're having a picnic. Haven't you ever had one before?"

His dark gaze stayed on the food she placed before him. "No."

"Oh," She responded quietly. "Well, a picnic is when people take food outside and eat it while sitting and enjoying the nature around them."

"Sounds dull."

"When I was very little Dad, Mum, and I used to go to the park down the street from our house to have picnics. We'd take this old quilt Gran made for my mum and set it on the grass to eat our meal. I'd always help Mum make the sandwiches—they liked ham while I always had turkey. We'd have a grand time eating and talking. Dad and I loved to lay back and watch the clouds. He'd find the silliest cloud animals." Ophelia was smiling fondly as she unwrapped her sandwich before taking a small bit.

"Cloud animals?"

The girl nodded. "It's part of a game we used to play. We'd gaze up at the clouds and try to find ones in the shapes of different animals. Dad found one that looked like a Erumpent before. I think he was making it up, though, cause I never saw it."

Severus glanced up at the sky, his coal eyes seeing only shades of white vapor amongst the vast blue. Looking back down, he grabbed his sandwich and took a forced bite. The two sat in comfortable silence, eating and listening to the tranquility of the nature around them. Once finished with the sandwiches, the girl then dug in the basket and pulled out a frosted slice of cake. Her expression turned to one of shyness again as she set it in front of Severus.

"This is for you." She said, the small flush on her cheeks attractive. "I know I sent you a letter for your birthday, but you never responded so I figured it must not have reached you. I wanted to make sure you knew that I hadn't forgotten about it."

Severus recalled the letter he had received that day in January. Over the years he had grown used to his birthday being like every other day—nothing special. He never received presents, let alone an actual birthday wish. When he received the written letter from Ophelia he was a bit surprised to find that it was to wish him a happy birthday. He could recall the way his eyes had grown slightly blurry as he read over the words, unwilling to let himself grow emotional over the small token of affection shown to him through the script. He hadn't responded out of awkwardness; he wasn't used to thanking anyone.

"It's vanilla." She offered, handing him a fork. He blinked at the pastry.

"I don't like cake."

"Oh," She responded in slight disappointment. "Well, I guess that means more for me then." Even his snide comment couldn't seem to put a damper on her spirits as she took a bit of the white cake.

"Severus," The girl started as she munched on the pastry. "Can we go to Diagon Alley? I wanted to visit Madam Malkin's shop."

"For what?"

"I need a dress robe." She answered. "I'm attending a party next week."

"What party?"

"It's Shannon Miller's party. Royce Butler goes to school with her. He was invited to go and asked me to go with him. I hope you don't mind that I said yes."

"Who the hell are Shannon and Royce?" Snape's brow was furrowed in confusion.

"Shannon and Royce go to a private muggle school near here. She lives across town, but Royce's house is just three blocks from yours." Ophelia's eyes were downcast timidly again.

"Since when do you hold company with muggles?"

The girl shrugged. "You're gone during the year and it gets rather lonely at home by myself. I met Royce last year when we were both at the park. The spokes on my bike had broken and he helped me fix them."

"You're not going."

"What?"

"I said, you are not going to that filthy muggle party."

"Why not?" Ophelia asked.

"Because I said so."

"That's not a very good reason." She countered with a small smile. "Plus, I already told Royce I'd go with him. It'd be rude of me to cancel now."

The dark-eyed boy felt a flare of anger rise up in him at the mention of the stranger's name again. Royce—who the hell did he think he was asking Severus' friend to a party? He felt his expression harden as his anger at the unknown boy grew. "It's not safe to go with him."

"With Royce? Why not?

"He probably just wants to take advantage of you. You can be rather naïve."

This comment earned Severus a glare from the freckle-faced girl. "Don't be such a git, Severus. I know Royce; he wouldn't hurt me. I think you'd like him just fine if you met him."

"I highly doubt that." Severus responded, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

He couldn't explain why this stranger's name brought out such rage in him. Ophelia had had other friends before. On various occasions she'd had Gilbert, the boy from down the street, over for tea or games. Severus had never felt threatened by the kid. Yet now he found himself suddenly growing possessive. What did Royce do to deserve the company of the girl sitting in front of him? He was probably some arrogant asshole who flaunted his parent's money around without a care in the world. It made Severus sick.

"Severus," The dark haired boy was pulled from his anger-filled thoughts as he heard the tone in Ophelia's voice change. "Look."

His coal eyes followed her pointing finger, the sight of small mushrooms meeting his gaze. "What?"

The golden haired girl was grinning as she stood and made her way over to the fungus. "Don't you see? It's a fairy circle."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Look!" She demanded, pointing at the mushrooms. "See how they've grown into a circle? They're called fairy circles. Mum used to tell me bedtimes stories about them."

Severus stared at the fungus, confused as to what she was referring to and how quickly she had shifted from talk of parties to childhood bedtime stories. She glanced up at him, grinned, then timidly took a step into the middle of the mushroom circle. His black eyes watched as she suddenly began to sway, her body moving gracefully as she danced about in the small ring.

"What are you doing?"

She glanced at him as she continued dancing. "Mum used to tell me that if you danced in a fairy circle you might catch a glimpse of the realm that belongs to the elves that created it." Seeing the confused look on Severus' face, she continued, "Fairy rings are created by the dancing of elves. Mum would say that if you stepped inside the ring and danced, you might be able to see the elves that had been there."

Severus sneered. "You look ridiculous."

Ophelia laughed giddily. "So you won't be joining me?"

"No."

Severus watched as she continued to dance, surprised to find his gaze enthralled by the graceful movements of her hips. He wasn't sure when he had begun to react to the vision of her lithe body, but the way she was moving was definitely causing the tingling sensations to rise up in his abdomen once more. His fingers twitched beside him as his eyes stayed on her swaying form. Had he not noticed her supple curves and milky smooth skin before? How had he missed the enchanting smile that always seemed to slip its way onto her pink-hued lips? He felt his throat go dry as a flame of desire began to burn deep within his being.

Trying to focus on anything but his confusing reaction to her tantalizing dancing, his thoughts strayed to the stranger Ophelia had mentioned before. A devious smirk made its way onto his lips as he thought of possible ways he could render the boy unable to attend the party. He knew he would be ruining the night for the golden haired girl, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. He wanted the pathetic muggle named Royce Butler out of her life. Perhaps he'd have to pay the boy a visit...

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><p>Author's Note: Oh dear, what could Severus be planning? Well, I hope you all enjoyed the update! Sorry I keep throwing in flashbacksmemories...It's needed for the development of the story, but eventually it will focus solely on the present. Also, Severus _will_ be joining the Death Eaters in this story, but that will be a little later. I wanted to develop his character before his transformation to the dark side. I mean, he has to have a reason to join the Dark Lord's army, right? Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter. I threw in the little bit about fairy circles because I absolutely love the myths about them. I thought it'd be interesting and entertaining to put it in my story, so I hope you guys don't mind. Every magical creatures mentioned in this chapter is found in Newt Scamander's book _Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them_.

Btw, thank you to everyone that reviewed and to those who added my story to their favs/alert! You guys are awesome! Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think! I love hearing feedback and I'd like to know what you guys are thinking of the story so far!


	3. Chapter III

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just adding my own twist to it.

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><p>Chapter III<p>

Severus didn't know how things had changed so quickly. It was as if one moment he went from being utterly annoyed and frustrated by the girl to suddenly wanting things he had never wanted before. It was now the fourth night in a row that he had been woken up from an intensely vivid dream only to find his body temperature exceedingly hot and unable to be lowered. The first two times it had occurred he had tried every potion, elixir, and remedy he could recall reading of to make the heat consuming his limbs go away. None of them had worked, of course. The only thing that did seem to quell the shaking and sweating of his appendages was a cold shower; though, even that didn't seem to quench his body's desire completely.

Detangling his upper torso from his slightly damp sheets, Severus sat up in his bed with a low groan. His lanky fingers rose to comb through his ever-greasy tendrils as he tried to calm his shallow breathing. Pursing his lips together, he focused on the question that had been plaguing his mind since the strange dreams had started to occur: _why? _He knew generally why he had such dreams. He wasn't ignorant when it came to desires and the sexual drive of a male.

No, he was more focused on the question of why it was _her _seducing him while he slept, touching and teasing him relentlessly. He knew of these kinds of needs since his ascension from child to teenager, yet he had never felt these types of desires towards anyone specific. And out of everyone, why _her_? Sure, she had an attractiveness that was impossible to ignore. From the sprinkle of freckles that speckled her nose to the long golden locks of her hair that cascaded around her petite face and shoulders, it was absurd to think that any wizard wouldn't go stargazed and cross-eyed at the sight of her. Severus wasn't just any wizard, though. He wasn't accustomed to fawning over pretty-faced females, let alone having controversial dreams about them.

Severus breathed in deeply through his nostrils as his body relaxed from its somewhat stiff state. The tremors and shudders were gone from his limbs, his core temperature lowering as time ticked by slowly. He knew the fire couldn't be quenched anymore for the time being without a cold shower, yet he was hesitant to leave his bed. His sensitive ears could pick up the muffled snoring of his father from the room just down the hall. Tobias was known to sleep heavily until the late hours of the morning if he'd been up all night with his trusted companions of whiskey and rum. Severus hadn't seen them that evening, though, and so wasn't sure he wanted to risk waking his father up in an attempt to rid his body of its uncomfortable state.

The beatings Tobias inflicted upon him had become more numerous within the last few weeks he had been home. Perhaps it was because the older man knew he wouldn't have many days left to abuse his son without retaliation or maybe it was due to his mother's obvious absence throughout the day causing him to become the main punching bag. Either way, Severus didn't care much. A few bruised ribs, fractured knuckles, and black eyes were just enough to exhaust Tobias to the point of passing out on the couch for the rest of the day unperturbed. And if that was all it took to put the elder man out of the game for a few hours, then Severus was willing to endure it.

He heaved a low sigh, his torso falling back against his age-old mattress. Springs poked and prodded harshly against his bony back making him twist and turn in the bed painfully. He didn't try to fall back asleep. His eyes stayed on his peeling ceiling instead, unwilling to surrender to the weight of his heavy lids. He didn't want to fall under _her_ spell again. It would only mean waking up in that out-of-breath, hot under the covers state again and that was something he was not willing to endure.

Even awake, though, he couldn't get the thoughts to leave his mind. The way her flaxen hair had fallen over his unclothed body as she smiled up at him with a tantalizingly coy expression..._Oh Merlin_, the thought alone could undo him right then and there. Severus clung to the sheets around him with a tight grip, his knuckles turning a paler shade of white as he desperately tried to keep his body from reacting to the strange thoughts. Yet he couldn't help it; his mind wouldn't keep from wandering. And each time it wandered it seemed to grow more detailed...more perverse.

It was sickening, really. The girl was not but sixteen. She was hardly considered a woman by his standards. Yet her broad hips, supple curves, satin skin, and enticing smile were all qualities that begged to differ. It wasn't until these attributes appeared that he even hesitated a moment to appreciate her looks. Until now she had been a petite girl whose shoulders seemed to start were her knees ended. She was a bit of tomboy really, always wearing loose clothes and nine times out of ten covered in some form of dirt. It was during his sixth year that she had seemed to undergo the transformation from awkward girl to fully endowed woman.

His face fell into a frustrated scowl as images of her laughing and tossing back her hair suddenly came into play. He wondered briefly what it would be like to see her really laugh—the deep, joyful, exuberating kind. The mirth she showed around him was short-lived and merely part of her nature. Never in all of their summers together had he attempted or even intended for her amusement to stem from something he had said or done. But what if he did attempt to make her truly laugh for him?

He could feel the heat rising up in his abdomen once more before shooting downwards causing his legs to wriggle uneasily. Thoughts of her simply laughing were driving him completely wild. Someone should take him away to Azkaban now, before he fell anymore into insanity. With a heavy groan, Severus turned on his side to stare at his red-bricked wall.

Sitting stiffly at the kitchen table, the dark haired boy plucked his quill from the spot beside him before dipping it languidly in the black ink cartridge. After withdrawing it, he then placed the tip upon the page he had previously been reading before crossing out a few ingredients to the well-known elixir. After scratching out the script, he quickly scribbled a few side-notes in the margin before placing his quill back on the table. His calculating stare read over his corrections, pausing before deciding that it would have to work. Modifying and creating potions had become a real pastime of his when he wasn't trying to rid his mind of wandering thoughts about a certain girl down the street.

"Good morning, Severus."

Severus didn't glance up as the weak voice of his mother carried softly throughout the kitchen. He nodded mutely, his eyes staying on his book as he heard her glide past him to the fridge. The door opened with numerous loud clanks, the beer bottles occupying it hitting together harshly.

"Hm," She hummed lightly. "Looks like we're out of milk again. Did the milkman not leave a fresh bottle at the door?"

"No."

"Huh," The elder woman stated as if shocked that their milk had not been delivered. "That's odd. Perhaps I should pay him a visit..."

Severus wouldn't have been surprised if his father had stopped paying for the milkman's services. With the way Tobias seemed keen on accusing his wife of cheating with the man, it wouldn't be highly improbable for the elder Snape to see fit to end the affair by cutting off their milk supply. Severus could feel a scowl etching its way onto his features. He never liked to think of his father so early in the morning; it always put him in a foul mood for the remainder of the day.

Silence encompassed the two beings for a moment before three familiar low thuds were heard resounding against the front door. Severus glanced up, his dark eyes staring at the doorway with a fixed glare.

"Who could that be?" His mother questioned aloud.

"Most likely no one of importance." Severus answered, hoping his mother would resist from opening the door to the girl. His dreams had increased exceedingly now and he had grown to realize he couldn't trust his own body. The mere scent of her was enough to initiate a ripple of shudders to course through his body.

"Oh, but I think it's that girl who lives just a few blocks away." His mother insisted, her body leaning on the kitchen counter as she strained to look out the window. Another three thuds emanated from the front door. "You should really let her in, Severus."

"I don't want to see her."

"Why ever not?"

"It's none of your concern." Severus glared harshly at the older lady as she turned to glance at him.

"Well, if you won't let her in then I will." She moved towards the door.

Severus suddenly shot from his seat at the table, his feet directing him towards the doorway hurriedly. He had avoided properly introducing Ophelia to his parents so far and he intended on keeping it that way. With a dark glower and a harsh swing of the door, he glared unwaveringly at the flaxen haired girl who stood insistently on his front step.

"What took you so long?" She asked, her eyes peering past him to glance around inside.

He instinctively shut the door a bit more. "I was busy."

"Creating another potion?" She asked with a smirk. "What does this one do? Produce sudden male-pattern baldness? Or maybe it's an uncontrollable laughter potion..."

"I don't waste my time making useless potions." Severus scowled.

"Useless, but funny." Ophelia prompted with a smirk.

Severus' eyes squinted into smaller slivers as he glared all the more. Quiet encompassed the two and he figured she wasn't going to budge until he answered her question. "I was reading."

"Correcting Dad's books again?"

"I finished perfecting his two years ago."

"Dad thinks you're right barmy for finding faults in his potions." The girl laughed. "He doesn't take kindly to being criticized."

Silence fell between them before Severus asked, "Why did you come over?"

The girl shrugged, her hair lifting in a light breeze. Raising a dainty hand up, she softly tucked the light locks back behind her ear. Severus sucked in a sharp breath, his senses overwhelmed by the scent of fresh honeydew—it was intoxicating. His skin suddenly began to tingle as he felt a small sweat break out over his body.

"Pull your hair back." He demanded.

"Why?" Her nose scrunched in confusion.

"Just do it." He paused. "It smells."

"Oh," Ophelia muttered, a timid flush rising on her cheeks.

Severus ripped his eyes from her expression, the heat rising up in his core at the mere blush she had adorned. His fingers twitched beside him, anxious to reach out and brush against her inviting flesh. He cursed the appendages inwardly, his pulse racing as he managed to stare harshly at the street behind the girl.

"I guess I forgot to wash it," She admitted sheepishly. "I've been in such tizzy over what I should wear to Shannon's party next week that I haven't been able to get much sleep. I overslept this morning so I must have forgotten to wash it in the shower."

Merlin, why did she have to mention taking a shower? Severus ground his teeth together as he tried his hardest to ignore the bombardment of mental images that came flooding into his head. Hot water...steam enveloping her body...milky exposed skin...wet golden hair cascading with the falling water...The dark haired boy groaned as he shifted in his spot, his pants suddenly growing uncomfortably tight.

"Are you okay, Severus?"

His gaze darted to her face, his eyes noting the loose ponytail that now held back her hair. He both despised and marveled in how much persuasive power he held over the freckle-faced girl.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You've lost all the color in your face." She stepped forwards, her hand reaching up to rest lightly against his forehead. Electrifying tingles shot from the contact causing the heat to rise further in Severus' being. "And you're covered in sweat! Should I take you to an infirmary?"

Severus growled lowly, his hand rising to swat away her smooth appendage. His forehead instantly missed the touch, the skin there still tingling frustratingly. "I said I'm _fine_."

Ophelia paused before responding, "Well, if you're sure." Her eyes suddenly lit up as she added, "Maybe you can help me."

Severus rose a thick, dark brow.

"I haven't a clue as to what I should wear to the party. I had been thinking of getting new dress robes, but then I remembered it is a muggle party after all. I'd stick out like a sore thumb if I wore wizarding garb." She chuckled lightly at herself. "Maybe you could give me your opinion on some outfits I've chosen?"

"No."

"Well, why not?"

"I already told you that you're not going."

"And have you forgotten that I blatantly chose to ignore your commands?" Ophelia countered with a smirk.

Severus' dark eyes lowered into another glare.

"Come on, Severus. It'll only be a few outfits."

"No. I won't help you dress up for some filthy muggle party. They're not worth the effort anyways."

Ophelia pursed her plump pink lips. Severus' eyes watched the action hungrily, his mind playing with the image in a multitude of different scenarios. He quickly shook his head.

"Severus, please."

"No."

"Come on. I promise I'll be quick. Quit being such a nark."

"I said no."

"But you're my best friend. No one else's opinion matters more than yours!"

Severus paused, his pulse quickening at the statement. "...No."

Ophelia huffed, her arms rising up above her head in exasperation. "You can be such an arse."

Severus smirked. "You shouldn't curse. It's not becoming of a lady."

Ophelia's nose crinkled. "Well, if you won't help me choose an outfit, what do you want to do today?"

"I have things that I need to take care of," He responded before adding, "Alone."

"What kind of things?"

"Personal ones."

"Why can't I come with?"

"You'd just get in the way." This statement earned him a small frown.

"Fine, I guess I'll go find Gilbert then." Ophelia sighed. "He's been wanting to try out his new broomstick anyways."

"You can't fly a broomstick in daylight with muggles around."

"Obviously," Ophelia laughed. "There's a big field a few miles north of here that would be ace for practice so I figured we could go there. I'm hoping he'll let me go a few rounds on it."

"You've never ridden a broom before."

Ophelia grinned. "All the more reason to try."

Severus breathed in deeply as he shut the front door once the girl was gone. Her fragrance had been overwhelming his senses and he found the dank stench of his home rather refreshing compared to the smell of sweet honeydew. As he strolled passed the kitchen he heard his mother's curious voice call out to him, but he ignored it. He wasn't in the mood to answer he meddlesome questions and he preferred that the woman knew as little as possible about Ophelia.

Closing the door to his room, the dark haired boy took a seat at his desk as his mind wandered to a topic brought up earlier by the girl. He had yet to devise a plan of how to render the boy known as Royce incapable of attending the party. Even though Severus despised the muggle for spending time with Ophelia, he knew the boy wasn't worth being expelled from school over. Therefore, spells were out. His coal eyes scanned over the contents lying open on his desk. A large piece of parchment caught his attention, his messy scribbling covering the smooth surface.

Striding over to it, he grasped the parchment with his pale digits. His gaze skimmed over the content, a devious grin rising to his lips as he read over a recent recipe. Placing the paper back onto the table, Severus grabbed an empty cauldron and a ladle before setting them beside the recipe. Glancing at the ingredients, he read them slowly off in his head. _Fang of a Chizpurfle, lips of a Clabbert taken on a full moon, eye of a Toad, two drops of Griffin's blood, three teaspoons of Lobalug venom, twelve scales of an impregnated Moke, shredded dried skin of a Boomslang..._

As Severus dropped in the last ingredient before stirring the liquid as instructed, he watched as it gurgled and popped before calming down into a simmering clear mixture. Leaning over the pot, he breathed in deeply. His mouth turned down into a frown as he backed away; the stench was horrendous. Pursing his lips, he glanced around his various potion items before finding a solution. The pale skinned boy grasped the raspberry flavored syrup before carefully dropping a few tablespoons into the potion. He smelled it again, pleased to find a sweet aroma emanating from the cauldron.

Once the potion was cooled, he carefully poured it into a storage container to let it sit while he planned his next move. The mixture he had created was one of his original recipes. The object of this particular brew was to transform the drinker into a toad. Severus hadn't had time to test it out, but he figured it would work all the same. He had yet to create a potion that didn't perform the desired effects.

He knew he was going to receive hell from Ophelia for turning her date into a toad. Severus' thin lips twitched upwards at the thought. Her wrath was far worth it if it meant turning that loathsome muggle boy into a wart-covered, repulsive creature. Sitting back in his chair, Severus' mind began to wander as he tried to think of a way to deliver the draught to Royce without being discovered. Perhaps he could slip it into the family's weekly milk delivery. His dark brow furrowed as he shook his head lightly. He didn't want the entire family to turn into toads. That could potentially cause problems with the Ministry. Deliberating a few other options, Severus' eyes found their way over to his shelf.

Lifting himself from the chair he had been sitting in, the boy skimmed his gaze over the various labeled vials that occupied the dusty, dull shelves on the far side of his room. He smirked as he was rewarded with a familiar brew. Grasping the small container from its place, he quickly procured it for observation. Polyjuice Potion—the challenging mixture he had let marinate for a little over a month's time now. It would have to do. Royce would trust a drink given to him from the girl he fancied and so there would be no reason for suspicion from the victim.

Although a higher-level potion, he had found it hardly a challengewhen he had attempted creating it. The final step was to drop a sample of the girl into the liquid. Severus paused, his eyes on the repulsive slosh that occupied the small vial in his hands. He hadn't obtained an item from her person to complete the potion, not finding a need to have a remnant of her occupying his room. He dreamt about her enough anyways without having something there to remind him of her presence. He pursed his pale lips finding the hindrance in his plan rather irritating.

With a disdainful scowl, he sighed as he lowered his face into his bony hands. Even without actually being there, Ophelia still annoyed the living hell out of him. If she was not bothering him with her pointless chatter or seductively haunting him while he slept, then she was creating obstacles so that he couldn't complete his task of ridding the girl of bad company. It was beyond annoying and made him seriously question why he put up with her presence for so long. Perhaps he should just let her go to the party with the muggle. If she found herself in Royce's arms at the end of the night then Severus could potentially be rid of her for good.

Rubbing his temples with his spindly fingers, Severus recanted his last thoughts. He needed to teach Ophelia a lesson for fraternizing with such a low, pathetic being and Royce needed to learn his place. A pureblood witch falling in line with a dirty muggle was not to be borne.

Letting his hands fall from his façade, Severus stood from his seat. He was set on completing his plan and so that only left him but one option: to sneak into the girl's house and retrieve a sample of her for his potion. She had informed him that she'd be out with that pimple-faced, sorry excuse for a wizard Gilbert so he knew that she wouldn't be at home. Reaching for his cloak, his coal eyes caught on something that was hanging from the sleeve.

Severus squinted at the cloth before raising it to the level of his face to inspect it. A small sliver of gold peeked from the abyss of the black cloak. What was a strand of the freckled girl's hair doing on his clothing? He thought back, his mind suddenly recalling how she had begged him for his warm cloak the other week when they had gone out into the forest behind her house. It had been a rather cold night and she, being the ignorant girl that she is, had forgotten to bring a jacket. She had whined and pleaded for him to give up his cloak, but he had refused. When she started latching onto him, though, he found that his stubbornness was far outweighed by the desire to keep her as far away from him as possible. It was too much of a challenge for the dark haired boy to keep his shudders and heated flesh at bay when she was grabbing onto him the way that she was. Reluctantly he had let her wear his cloak, glad to have her intoxicating smell and burning touch gone from his being.

Taking the small flaxen tendril in his hand, Severus plucked it from his cloak before depositing the clothing on the back of his chair. He then moved to stand before the container of Polyjuice Potion once more. The mixture inside was dark grey and thick in nature; he dreaded consuming the foul liquid.

As Severus dropped the strand of hair into the potion, the liquid began to change from its dark muddy substance to a cool blue fluid. Thin steam lifted from it, the scent pleasing to his nostrils. After stirring the brew slightly so as to make sure it was fully mixed, he checked the hour. The dark haired boy had gained a few facts about the targeted muggle from Ophelia's incessant rambling, one being that he started his trumpet lessons in thirty minutes time. From this, Severus could assume that this meant Royce would have to be home.

Grasping both draughts in his hands, he made for the kitchen as he left his room. Knowing that it would be impossible for him to change his voice to that of the girl's without some sort of magic, Severus reluctantly decided that he would have his mother perform the needed spell on him. Entering the kitchen where his mother still sat, he quickly slipped the vials of potions into his pocket.

"I need you to perform a pitch-changing spell on me."

The frail woman looked up from her reading, her hollow eyes searching the face of her son. "Severus, I don't have a—"

"Here." The pale skinned boy held out his wand.

"What do you need me to do it for?"

"I'm underage."

"I don't understand..."

"Just do it." Severus ground out, a deep glower adorning his threatening features.

The woman hesitated before daintily reaching out and grasping the wand from him. Pointing the tip at his throat, she softly spoke the intended charm. Once done, Severus quickly snatched his wand back before leaving. He didn't stop to thank her.

Ophelia had pointed out Royce's home on one of their outings around the neighborhood and so the building wasn't hard to find. Positioning himself behind one of the large bushes outside the muggle's house, Severus procured the two vials from his pocket. Opening the container with the crystal blue liquid in it, he quickly gulped it down. The taste of sweet honeydew washed over his taste buds as the Polyjuice Potion slipped down the back of his throat. He cringed, his face distorting in disgust at the irony that the potion tasted the same as her disgustingly familiar scent.

Suddenly small aches of pain began to shoot through his limbs. His eyes watched as his arms began to shorten, his lanky fingers taking on a more slender, silky look. He groaned as his face began to tingle profusely. Reaching his fingers up to prod at his features, he began to feel itchy along the skin of his face before suddenly the sensations stopped. Severus waited for a few moments to make sure the transformation was complete before looking down. His calculating eyes observed the change in his structure, his hips wider and his waist thinner. He quickly tucked his button-up into his pants, the clothes being rather baggy on his now feminine form. He knew his attire would probably not go unnoticed by the muggle he was about to engage, but for now he found himself unable to do anything about it. He only had an hour before the effects wore off and he wasn't willing to go home and steal an outfit from his mother.

Wrapping his cloak more around his frame, Severus made sure the toad potion was still in his pocket before leaving the shelter of the bush he had been crouching behind. Reaching a dainty hand up, Severus made to wipe a few golden tendrils from his shoulder, but hesitated as his fingers brushed the remarkably smooth locks. Too tempted to resist, he quickly grasped a few before raising them to his nose. He breathed in deeply; the familiar succulent fruit aroma filled his senses. He quickly pushed the tendrils away.

Pausing for only a moment, Severus then made his way up to the front door of the small house. He raised his hand, his female digits rapping lightly on the wood. As he lowered his hand the air around him grew silent causing a small eruption of anxiety to rise up in him. He took a shallow breath, his eyes staying fixed on the door. A moment later he heard the shuffling of feet before the knob was turned and the door cracked open.

Severus watched as a tall boy stepped out from the confines of the house. His dark auburn hair was styled in a tousled look, his eyes a vibrant shade of green. His skin held a slight tan, his face void of any freckles or blemishes. Upon his torso he sported a posh sweater, a light blue button-up peeking out from underneath. Khakis adorned his lower half followed by loafers on his large feet. Severus glared lightly.

"Ophelia," The boy stated with a grin, his teeth flashing merrily. "What brings you over? The party isn't until next week."

Severus' lips cracked into a tight smile, trying desperately to remain in the role of the freckle-faced girl. "I just wanted to see you," He lied. He was pleased to find that his mother's pitch-changing spell had worked, his voice dripping with femininity.

Royce's eyes traveled downwards from Severus' eyes, his face changing into a slight frown as he gazed upon his apparel. Severus resisted the urge to glower, his predictions of the male muggle's reaction being correct.

"You know," Royce started, his eyes rising to Severus' face once more as he let his lips slip into a teasing smile. "Men's trousers really aren't your style."

Severus let a small chuckle escape his lips, knowing that the flaxen hair girl would have reacted in such a way. "I agree," He responded. "But all of my clothes are in the wash, so I had to borrow some of my Dad's."

"I see," Royce stated. "Well, come on inside. I can make us some tea."

Severus inwardly smirked, his ruse over the boy seeming almost too easy. Slowly he followed the auburn haired muggle inside, his eyes scanning over the interior of the house. It was quaint with small decorations here and there, a minor staircase located on the far side of the room. It was far nicer than Severus' abode had ever been, this fact only causing the dark haired boy to despise Royce all the more.

"Why don't you take a seat in the parlor and I'll get the tea?" Royce suggested, flashing a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

Severus glanced ahead, his eyes catching the sight of a room occupied by couches and paintings. Sun shone into the area, reflecting on a small glass coffee table. He figured that must have been the parlor. Strolling into the room, Severus took a stiff seat on the couch. It was taking every fiber in his being to resist going into the kitchen and hexing the smile off of that damn muggle's face. He hadn't enjoyed the excited greeting he had received from the boy, furious that the filthy muggle thought he had a chance with Ophelia. Severus breathed in deeply, his nostrils flaring as he tried to quell his anger. It would only be moments before he slipped the draught into the boy's drink; then all would be right once more.

"Here we are." Severus's eyes glanced up as the tall boy strut into the room with a tray and tea set in his hands.

He set the serving dish on the small glass table, his hands reaching for the tea pot as he smiled up at Severus. The dark haired boy's hands folded into tight fists in an attempt to keep from swinging at the muggle's face. He would wipe that damn smile from Royce's face, if it was the last thing he did.

Royce hardly noticed as he poured the golden liquid into the tea cups. Reaching for the sugar, he glanced up before asking, "You take two lumps, right?"

Severus remained quiet for a moment before responding, "None, actually."

Royce's brow furrowed. "Oh, I'm sorry," He recanted. "I had just remembered the last time you preferred two. I must have been mistaken."

The last time? Severus felt anger flare up in him once more. That damn girl had been over to the repulsive muggle's house before? Forgetting about the boy in front of him, Severus suddenly felt a strong urge to find Ophelia and throw a few hexes _her_ way.

"Here you go," Royce interrupted Severus' thoughts as he handed him a cup. He then took a seat across from the dark haired boy, his lips never breaking from their incessant smile.

"So," The auburn haired boy started. "Are you excited for the party? Shannon tells me it's going to be one of the biggest this year. Everyone from Melbourne High will be there. You don't have to worry about not knowing anyone, though. I'll make sure to stay by your side."

Severus' teeth ground together. "Thanks," He muttered, his fingers holding a deathly clutch on the porcelain in his hand.

Glancing down at the boy's tea, Severus wondered for a moment how he would deliver the potion to the liquid. He couldn't do it with the muggle sitting right there. Ophelia or not, Royce most likely wouldn't drink something that could potentially be poisoned. Thinking on his feet, Severus quickly asked, "Do you have anything to eat? I'm a bit hungry."

"Of course," Royce responded. "Fancy anything in particular?"

"Scones, perhaps." Severus responded knowing that Ophelia loved to dip the small pastries into her tea. He found it rather odd and doubtlessly repulsive, but nothing he could say would stop her from satisfying her peculiar habit.

"Right, I'll be back in a moment." Royce offered before standing to make his way to the kitchen once more.

Severus didn't waste any time as he quickly procured the small vial from his pocket. Popping it open, he hurriedly dipped the liquid into the boy's tea. He watched as it fell into the warm, golden liquid. It mixed in seamlessly to Severus' delight. He grinned deviously, depositing the vial into his pocket once more. Waiting patiently, he watched as the other boy made his way back into the room with a small plate of scones. How thoughtful, he sneered inwardly. What Ophelia saw in this muggle was beyond him. The guy was a useless dimwit.

"Eat as many as you like," Royce offered before setting the plate down and taking up his seat once more. He reached for his tea, Severus' eyes glued to him as he raised it to his lips.

Severus could feel the edge of his mouth tugging into a conniving smirk as the boy gulped down the tea, the liquid causing his esophagus to bulge as he swallowed with a sigh. He set the tea down slowly, the smile on his lips as wide as ever. "Aren't you going to have a scone?" He questioned, his eyes staying on Severus' form.

"In a moment." Severus responded coolly.

Taking a short sip from his bitter drink, his dark eyes watched as the usual smile slowly began to slip from the auburn haired boy's lips. A frown took its place, the boy's hand reaching up to clutch at his stomach.

"Something wrong?" Severus asked with an inward grin.

"N-no," Royce stammered, though he clutched his stomach tighter as he caught himself from doubling over. Severus could see a light shade of green tinting his cheeks and he wasn't sure if it was from illness or the transformation. "On second thought," Royce started, his voice weak as he tried to stay upright. "Perhaps I should lie down."

"Perhaps you should," Severus offered. "Your face has turned green. Are you ill?"

"I'm not sure," Royce responded, his free hand rising to cover his mouth.

"I think I should go and let you rest." Severus couldn't help the smirk that was painted across his lips as he watched the muggle boy in front of him struggle to stay calm.

"That might be a good idea," Royce groaned.

Severus stood then, his eyes lingering on Royce for only a moment longer before he turned to leave. "I can show myself out," He called over his shoulder.

The dark haired boy waited outside his home until the Polyjuice Potion wore off. Once his body had taken his masculine form again, he made his way inside. His mother was washing the bed sheets, her eyes glistening with a new bruise. Severus was hardly surprised, his ears picking up the sound of loud snoring emanating from the room upstairs. Tobias always enjoyed roughing up the elder woman whenever he came home from his outings at the local bars. Ignoring the injury, he quickly ordered his mother to release the charm she had put on him to change his voice.

A week went by before Severus saw Ophelia again. He figured she had been busy with planning her outfit and whatnot for the party and he wasn't one to go find her. In fact, Severus found it rather pleasant to not have to fight off his heightened body temperature and anxious fingertips. The pale skinned boy was almost completely convinced that he had gotten away with his plot until he heard the familiar loud thuds on his front door. He opened it with a sneer, his eyes taking in Ophelia's disgruntled frown and crossed arms. Her foot was tapping heatedly.

"Severus, what did you do?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Let me know what you guys thought of the update! Did you like it? Hate it? Want more of it? Your feedback means so much to me and I always take it into consideration. Also, who else thinks Ben Barnes would make a splendid teenage Snape? If you don't like him, who would you picture as a good teenage Snape? I didn't like the actor they chose in the 5th movie for him when Harry sees Snape's memory. What about you guys?<p>

Anyways, thanks for reading! See you next chapter.


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